Methodology for integrating SuDS in urban planning; the case of Spain

Abstract Climate change is possibly the biggest challenge facing cities today. The consequences of this phenomenon have led to the need to rethink urban models, so that the presence of water and green spaces can serve as a tool to make cities more resilient. In recent years, SuDS have been implemented to alleviate environmental problems caused by soil sealing and the effects of climate change. Their effectiveness has been demonstrated in cities around the world, however, the level of implementation is in most cases limited to mitigating the effects caused by inadequate urban planning. Some countries are going a step further by proposing actions to integrate the SuDS into different urban plans with the so-called ‘Water Sensitive Urban Design’. In Mediterranean countries it is even more necessary to advance in this direction, as both the topographical characteristics of the cities and the intense rainfall are generating serious environmental problems. In the case of Spain, there are hardly any proposals related to the integration of SuDS in planning. This paper proposes a methodology for this in the different urban plans existing in this country, which can be extrapolated to other Mediterranean countries such as France and Italy. This methodology will help to enhance the use of SuDS in cities and will generate considerable progress in sustainable planning.